The UK Home Secretary has announced a series of forthcoming changes designed to restrict work migration to the United Kingdom, set to be implemented in the second quarter of 2024. Notable adjustments comprise:
- Raise the minimum general salary for occupations under the Skilled Worker Route.
- Exemption of Health and Social Care Visa Workers from the minimum salary increase; however, the ability for these individuals to bring dependents to the United Kingdom will be eliminated.
- Eliminate the salary discount for occupations featured on the Shortage Occupation List.
- Heightened financial requirements for family applications.
Below are the notable changes to the UK skilled worker visa
| Modifications | Details | Impact Information |
| Elevated minimum base salary for professions within the Skilled Worker Route. | The elevated salary will increase to GBP 38,700 from GBP 26,200—an increase of 47.7%. | Certain industries, like hospitality, which depend on lower minimum salaries, might have to decrease workforce size to align with the elevated salary standards. Conversely, sectors with typically higher salary structures are anticipated to experience a lesser impact. |
| Workers holding Health and Social Care Visas are immune to the salary increase, although they are no longer permitted to bring dependents. | Health and Social Care Visa workers are spared from the escalation in the minimum salary requirement. Nevertheless, the ability to bring dependents to the United Kingdom has been discontinued for this category. | Certain individuals in this category may opt for other nations where they can bring their dependents. Nevertheless, the anticipated impact on the health and social care sectors is likely to be minimal, given the ample supply of healthcare workers worldwide. |
| Elimination of the discounts for professions listed on the Shortage Occupation List. | The government embraced the suggestion to do away with the 20% reduction in the minimum salary requirement for occupations featured on the Shortage Occupation List. | Employers recruiting for Shortage Occupation List positions will be required to cover the entire minimum salary, potentially diminishing the attractiveness of such hires and raising costs for companies. |
| It has heightened financial criteria for family applications. | UK citizens sponsoring dependents from foreign nations must now have an annual income of at least GBP 38,700, marking a significant rise from the previous threshold of GBP 18,600—an increase exceeding 100%. | This modification is expected to decrease the pool of individuals qualifying to bring their family members to the United Kingdom. |
The recent measures might pose substantial challenges for employers grappling with labor shortages post-Brexit, especially in sectors that haven’t fully embraced alternative strategies like enhanced training to counter workforce deficits.
Also, there’s a potential risk that these measures could undermine overall growth in the labour sector.
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